Of The Mind
by Avatar67
Summary: What happened after Annabeth left Percy at Half blood hill?What is the true meaning of his fathers gift, the sand dollar?After BOtL. Annabeths POV/Percy's.Better as it goes on.percyXannabeth.
1. He Left

**Hey everyone! Just wanted to tell you that this is all in Annabeth's POV(not sure if my following chapters are going to be though...). Hope you enjoy, if you have any suggestions or just want to say something then just review!**NOTE THERE IS SOME DIALOG FROM THE 4TH PERCY JACKSON BOOK WHICH WAS WRITTEN BY RICK RIORDAN, NOT ME IF I WROTE IT I WOULD BE WORKING ON THE 5TH BOOK NOW...**NOTE-I MADE SOME CHANGES(SPELLING/ECT.) BY SUGGESTION OF/BY 'the big NOBODY'(THANKS!)  


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ANNABETH POV:  
**

"Listen, Annabeth-"Percy said to me in a way that led me to believe that it was quite hard for him to continue. But just as he seemed ready to finish I heard Argus, a man with eyes on all of his body, honk the horn to the van that was to bring Percy and other camp half blood kids back to their homes. But not to mine, at least not for awhile, I was to stay at camp while Chiron recovered from a leg that he had broken while monsters had attacked from the labyrinths entrance. I looked at Percy to see a look of defeat on his face; he couldn't seem to tell me what he had wanted to now.

"You better get going," I said starting to feel uncomfortable with every passing moment. "Take care Seaweed Brain."

I felt relieved once I started to jog down the hill towards my cabin. I didn't look back once, I just couldn't. I didn't even know why, which is basically a first for _this_ daughter of Athena. Maybe I thought I could leave all my confusion up at the top of the hill where Percy had left, left without _me._ But I didn't care, right? I still had feelings for Luke, at least I thought so. Since he WAS actually the one who had been in my prophecy.

_'And Lose a love to worse than death'_ the last line of the oracles prophecy rung out inside my mind.

And I had, Luke Castellan was now the legendary…Kronos. He had walked to close to the edge, the edge that fell down to a place where he would never REALLY be able to return from, but instead of fighting that little shove that made him fall he simply smiled and waved as he met the darkness below him. We had no hope, nor should we, of him retuning to the light, and I knew that.

But then why can't I just admit it aloud? I had somehow already reached my cabin without noticing it. I guess all those years of living here day in and day out had helped my feet to be able to guide them selves. I opened the door to Athena's cabin and plopped myself down upon my bed lost in the depths of the spaghetti that was indeed my inner thoughts.

Although my brain was just a jumbled mess around me my cabin just seemed to be a ghost of its past self, empty. There were none of my siblings here to keep me company or to bother me. I couldn't remember feeling this alone and confused ever.

"Man, was this going to be a hard couple of weeks or what?! Well at least once I leave camp I'll have some private school to take my mind off this stuff." I thought as I lay back onto my bed starring at the bunk above me.

But how would this be any different than when I was a little kid?

_"Well for starters Luke isn't here"_ a voice seemed to say from within my head.

_"Good riddance-"_another voice said within my brain. Then all of a sudden my brain seemed to be at war with itself, well at least in an argument that is.

_"What do you mean by 'good riddance'?!"_

_"Well, we don't need him!"_

_"But it-its Luke!!"_

_"Yeah so, why does that change anything? He's STILL evil!"_

_"But I know if I just talked-"_

_"No! He's evil! As in NOT GOOD AND NEVER WILL BE AGAIN!!"_

_"But there IS still hope…"_

_"Not really, no. And anyway, what about Percy?"_

The ping pong game of an argument that had been held in my mind drifted off as soon as it had started, leaving behind something or should I say _someone_ in its place. Percy.

I had known him for how long now? What was it around four years or so? At any rate we _were_ friends, but at times I wasn't sure it seemed…different. Like when we went on our first quest and we had to ride the "Tunnel Of Love" or when we had that dance atop Olympus and when we kissed in Mt. St. Helens.

I could feel my face redden at the mere thought of THAT memory. _Was that kiss for good luck? Did he think it was? I didn't even REALLY know… or did I?_

"Arrrggghhh!!"I groaned in frustration. This was starting to get really annoying. I had to get my mind off this, but how?

I groggily pulled myself back to a sitting position with a sigh and looked out the window; it already seemed to be around time for dinner. No later had I thought that did the dinner horn blow signaling that I was indeed correct.

INSERT STAR THINGS

I looked up from the food I had barely touched. I didn't FEEL hungry, I only FELT confused, 'oh joy' my subconscious thought as I rolled my eyes.

I glanced up from my plate to look around at the other tables; there were only a hand full of campers at each table who hadn't left. There were three Apollo children, an Ares boy by the name of Josh, two daughters and a son of Aphrodite (one daughter being Selina), four Hermes campers (only one of whom were actually claimed) and then there was me. I was the only one out of all 13 of us that had a place, besides Camp Half Blood, to call a _home_.

Then before I knew it dinner was over and Chiron told us to return to our cabins for hopefully some restful sleep. I got up and started to walk out with Selina (who was kind of my friend).

But just as we were walking out of the pavilion to go back to our cabins for the night Chiron called me over. I turned to Salina who just said, "Don't worry I'll wait here for you, okay?" I just nodded as I headed over to Chiron.

"Yes Chiron?" I asked expectantly once I had made it to the head table where he was sitting with Dionysus who seemed more bored than usual (which is REALLY saying something…).

"You seem upset about something Annabeth, is there anything I can do?" He asked me in a concerned voice. He had been my father figure pretty much since I had come here when I was seven, 'Of course,' I thought 'he knows when something is on my mind…'

"No, not really sir, thanks for your concern though Chiron." I said trying to smile but I had the feeling I wasn't doing the best job with that.

But I guess Chiron _also_ knew that I wouldn't spill, at least not now. I heard Chiron utter a sigh in defeat and started to say something when he was interrupted by the perpetual drunk man, Dionysus.

"Annabell here is probably just upset her little boyfriend, what's his name?...ah yes Peter Johansson, right?, has left for home while she is still here." Dionysus said with a smirk. Man did this god really get under my skin.

"What! I-I don't-" I stuttered feeling my face turn a deep red. _Why did he think I was Percy's girlfriend?! Hmmm…Percy's girlfriend, it had a sort of ring to it, you know?no!snap out of it Annabeth!  
_

But I was hurled back to reality as Chiron said, "Yes, well are you sure you want to stay here for a few more weeks?" he asked, apparently changing the subject to keep me from feeling any more embarrassment. I could sense that he wasn't saying that to make me feel that I should leave but to make sure that I was sure of myself.

"Uhh… well yes Chiron, after all your leg is injured so you'll need help with some things until you heal and I'm happy to help!" I said to the centaur in the wheel chair before me.

"Well, like I said the other day, when you told me of your decision, thank you. What would I do without you?" Chiron said with a smile as he patted my shoulder.

I sensed that I could go now so I turned on my heel and started walking away, but as I was walking away I swear I could hear the voice of Dionysus saying, "Well without her there would be less teenage romance confusion, that's for sure…".

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**Did you like it? If you did(or didn't) let me know and I'll include(or not include) what you suggest once I start my next chapter.**


	2. AKWARD TURTLE!

**HEY!SORRY THIS TOOK AWHILE, I WROTE IT ON SATURDAY BUT I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO TYPE IT UP UNTIL JUST NOW...(NOTE-STILL IN ANNABETH POV ALSO I CHANGED PART OF THE LAST CHAPTER SO SELINA IS WAITING FOR ANNABETH WHILE SHE IS TALKING TO CHIRON, IT WAS BASICALLY ONLY TO MOVE THE PLOT ALONG A LITTLE MORE SMOOTHLY...OH AND IF YOU DIDN'T NOTICE IF SOMETHING IS IN _'ITALICS'_ IT MEANS THAT ITS WHAT ANNABETH IS THINKING...**) **PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK! ENJOY!!

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ANNABETH POV:  
**

I walked out into the night; my head still just a buzz of thoughts (as it had been ALL day…figures, huh?). What did Mr. D mean by 'There would be less teenage romance confusion-'?

_'Who was Mr. D to pass judgment?!' _I thought as I balled my fists in anger.

Then I remembered Selina, she said she would wait for me while I talked to Chiron but where was she? I looked around myself trying to see her in the darkness of the night. I did a complete circle before I saw her; she was behind one of the pavilions pillars…within in earshot of where I was when I was talking to Chiron.

"Selina there you are!" I said surprised at where she had been standing, "Wait why were you behind there anyway?".

"Well I uhh thought I saw something shiny, yeah shiny that's it! Because I'm a daughter of Aphrodite and we just LOVE shiny things!" she said quickly with a fake smile and a small cough before walking over to me and suggesting we should head back to our respective cabins.

I looked at Selina with a questioning look, what did she have planned now? She obviously was thinking something up in her makeup covered face of hers; honestly it's wasn't that hard to tell since Aphrodite wasn't the goddess of liars and con artists...

We continued the next half a minute in a heavy silence. '_You could cut it with a knife…_' I thought wryly. But then something popped into my head, _'Why WAS Selina here? She had a home, right?' _Well there was a way to find out…

I sighed before I broke the silence. "Uh, Selina…" I started slowly. She turned her head towards me in acknowledgment.

"Yeah what's up Annabeth?" She asked while coming to a halt.

"Don't you have a home to go to Selina? Why would you want to stay at camp when you could be at home with the rest of your family?" I asked from next to her.

"Well, uhh…my mom thinks I should be 'helping out' around camp, you know?" Selina said as if it was as plain as the nose on your face.

"Uh huh, sure," I said skeptically. "You know because children of Aphrodite just LOVE work and war…Come on Selina why are you REALLY here?" I asked, my eye brows arched in wonder of her true intentions.

Selina just looked like a kid who had gotten caught with their hand in the cookie jar. But it quickly melted away as she changed it to one of false hurt.

"Annabeth, how could you say that? You're SO paranoid!" Selina said with a small frown as she turned on the spot and briskly walked towards her mother's cabin.

_'This CAN'T be good,'_ I thought as I stood there in the darkness, the only light coming from the moon. I looked up towards it and thought of Artemis, all her hunters and how I had thought of becoming one of THEM at a time not so long ago. I could have lived forever, gone on amazing adventures with the goddess of the hunt, and been one of 'the hunt'.

_'I bet it would have been great, but something had held me back, but what? At times when all this went through my head I would reassure myself that it was because of Luke…but something at the back of my mind seemed to say 'Percy'. Was it that we wouldn't be able to stay friends because we would never see each other, that he would die while I would continue the hunt with Lady Artemis? Or was it something different?'_ I shook my head as I walked up to the door of my empty cabin.

"It's not like it matters at the moment anyway, I'm not going to talk to him until NEXT summer…" I muttered as I opened my door. But what I saw made my heart skip a beat. Just as I took a step into my cabin an image appeared in front of me. It was an iris message from, could it be? Percy.

"Uh, hey Annabeth…I uhh just wanted to uhh…"Percy stuttered. 

_'Great, it's just like when he left ALL over again. De ja vu much anyone?'_

"Ask you how you were doing and all…" Percy finished.

"I'm…fine," I lied,

_'I wouldn't, no make that __couldn't tell him that I hadn't stopped thinking about a 'certain son of the sea god' all day…_'

"Why do you care? You only left like this morning." I asked suspiciously as I sat down upon my bunk still gazing up at the misty image of my friend.

"Well of course I care Wisegirl-"Percy said simply. But as he realized exactly WHAT he had said his face turned a light shade of pink. Sadly for me my face turned a more obvious shade of red from what he had said. "Because you know we're, uhh, friends and all..." the dark haired boy said as he rubbed the back of his messy haired head **(kind of like Harry Potter, no just kidding…or am I? Well they BOTH have messy black hair and green eyes…but Rachel is the only girl with red hair!-eww!)**.

I looked down at my feet sadly. _'Did he __really__ mean that? Would we forever be 'JUST FRIENDS'?'_ I pushed those thoughts out of my mind as I remembered that Percy was indeed still in front of me. I looked up, trying to avoid his sea green eyes **(See!?)**. "Right Seaweedbrain, we're…_just friends_," I said, having a hard time saying the last bit of it.

"Err, right so then what have you been doing since I left Annabeth?" he asked looking down at his hands that were twisting the cap of his pen/sword, Riptide.

"Today? Well not much actually…" I muttered. _'It was true, I hadn't done much that day well except sitting around thinking…'_

"Oh, well are there many campers left to keep you company?" he asked.

"No, not really, just a handful of year-rounders. You know the deal. But there is Selina, she has a home but she's still here at camp…" I answered while I looked into his sea green eyes. _'The sea green eyes that I…loved? Nah, couldn't be…_' I reassured myself.

"Hmmm, that stinks. Well do you know why Selina is there?" Percy asked from within the mist his eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"Not really. I asked her but she just gave me some story about 'helping out' around here, but I don't know what she means by that," I murmured looking out the window, which was next to my bunk, into the night that surrounded my cabin along with the rest of camp.

"Wonder what she means…maybe Aphrodite had some unfinished '_business_' in her uhh, '_area of expertise_' down at camp." Percy said as he nervously chuckled.

"That's what I thought too at first," I replied trying to figure out what he was thinking. 

_'He's probably thinking about kelp, he is __such__ a Seaweedbrain…'_ I thought. But I couldn't tell what he was REALLY thinking so I figured the only way to find out was to look even deeper into his eyes.

_'Makes sense huh?'_

He held my gaze for what seemed like forever but I couldn't look away and I had a feeling neither could he.

Then we started to say something at the same time "Percy I… /Annabeth you know-"

"Uh you can start," Percy said anxiously as he looked down at his hands.

"No its okay you can…" I stuttered.

"Alright, well Annabeth you know when I wanted to tell you something on at the top of half blood hill earlier today?" Percy said as he looked up to meet my eyes. I just nodded and he continued, "Well I wanted to tell you that what ever we go through we'll be friends because I don't want to be so distant from you…" he finished with a small smile.

I could feel my stomach do a flip-flop at what he has said.

"Hey Percy you want some ice cream?' asked a woman's voice from somewhere behind Percy. Then I saw who the voice belonged to, it was his mother, Ms. Jackson. She walked into Percy's room with a bowl of…blue ice cream?

"Uh, sure. Thanks mom!" Percy said as his mom handed him the blue dairy product.

"Hello Annabeth!" Percy's mother said as she looked into the iris message that was in front of them.

"Hello Ms. Jackson, how are you doing?" I asked her.

"Fine, how are things with you? Percy told me you're going to stay at camp a bit longer," she said with a concerned look.

"Well you know about the camp being attacked by those monsters though the labyrinth, right?" I asked and Percy's mom merely nodded. "Yeah well Chiron hurt one of his legs during the fight so I offered to stay and help him out"

"That's very nice of you Annabeth!" Ms. Jackson said with a friendly smile. Then she looked down at her son, who was sitting there trying not to completely breathe in his blue ice cream (so to speak) in front of me. "Well I guess I'll leave you two to talk, it was nice talking to you again Annabeth," she said as she looked back up towards me.

"Same here Ms. Jackson," I said as she started to walk towards Percy's bedroom door.

Just as she was opening the door she waved at me with a smile and gave Percy a wink that seemed to say that she knew more than she was letting on. Percy turned red and looked back at me.

"So…"Percy said as he started to scrape the last of his blue ice cream from the bottom of his bowl. He stuck the spoon back into his mouth and then continued, "So we're friends still right?"

"Yes. I don't see why we wouldn't be. Why do you ask?" I asked watching him place his empty ice cream bowl on his cluttered desk.

"I was just wondering because I thought you were kind of angry with me right before I left…" he stated with a small frown.

"Sorry about that…I was just…I had a lot of things on my mind…"I said looking at the floor boards of my empty cabin.

"Oh," Percy said lamely with a grim look on his face.

An awkward silence **(AWKWARD TURTLE!!JK!)** passed between us. But then something finally dawned on me.

_'Percy thinks I'm in love with Luke still, that's why this is so hard. He couldn't just straight out say it because he KNOWS I'll get upset. He knows I can't talk about Luke, not since he went bad and all. But there was no REAL way for Percy to help me with this issue because he couldn't say that Luke could turn around and walk the right path, since that was a lie, and yet he couldn't help me just ignore it because well Luke WAS Kronos after all.' _

_'Not to mention Percy would have to face him in a few months time. But the fact that Luke actually was Kronos didn't help the odds; sure you would think the moment I discovered that one of the sons of Hermes had betrayed his friends along with all of the Olympian parents I would have gotten over him, right? But I couldn't…well not until now…' _I thought, everything seemed to be finally sinking in.

'_I'm no longer in love with Luke Castellan.'_

_'But was THAT what Selina was at camp for? To make sure that I knew that little fact? Or was it to make sure I knew that I had fallen, hard, for my best friend. Percy Jackson, the only demi-god son of the Sea God Poseidon. The son of my mother's mortal enemy…'_

**SO WHAT DID YOU THINK?AND AS FOR THE WHOLE HARRY POTTER REFERENCE IT IS MOSTLY TRUE...**

HARRY:PERCY, BOTH HEROS THAT RID THE WORLD OF EVIL+HAVE BLACK HAIR (MESSY)+GREEN EYES

RON:GROVER, BOTH SIDE KICKS AND HAVE BEEN BEST BUDDIES WITH THE MAIN CHARACTER SINCE LIKE FOREVER(well since they were like 11...)

HERMIONE:ANNABETH, SMART ONES(BUT I DON'T THINK GROVER + ANNABETH LIKE EACH OTHER, THAT WOULD BE WEIRD...)

GINNY:RACHEL, BOTH HAD GREAT POWER(GINNY WAS GOOD AT SPELLS AND RACHEL CAN SEE THROUGH MIST)AND BOTH RED HEADS...BUT PERCY+RACHEL AREN'T GOING TO END UP TOGETHER MIST LIKELY...

DOES THAT MEAN CHIRON IS DUMBLEDORE?

**ANYWAY BACK ON TOPIC: LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! PLEASE REVIEW!!** **AND IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER LET ME KNOW...**


	3. Three Little Words

**HEY EVERYONE!SORRY THIS TOOK AWHILE...THANKS TO 'pecabeth777**' **FOR REMINDING ME TO UPDATE(I HONESTLY NEARLY FORGOT...) ANYWAY HERE YOU GO CH.3!**

_'But was THAT what Selina was at camp for? To make sure that I knew that little fact? Or was it to make sure I knew that I had fallen, hard, for my best friend. Percy Jackson, the only demi-god son of the Sea God Poseidon. The son of my mother's mortal enemy…'_

My eyes bulged in realization. _'How could this be? When had I stopped thinking of Percy as just my best friend?'_

I could hear the sound of someone clearing their throat. I looked up. Percy was still sitting there, on his side of the iris message, looking uncomfortable from the prolonged silence of my cabin.

"Err, Annabeth, you okay there?" he asked me, concern plainly written across his face. _'I guess he noticed my, uhh 'little discovery'…'_

"Of course, I guess I just…zoned out for a second there…" I said with a weak smile as I tried to figure out if he had bought it. Well at least it wasn't a complete lie…I had zoned out after all.

"Ha, a daughter of the mighty goddess Athena, zoned out?" Percy asked me teasingly.

"Heh, I guess so," I muttered with not the lightest of blushes spread across my face. I looked into the corner of my cabin in embarrassment.

"Well you know what they say. 'There is a first for everything'," my friend replied with a smile that made my heart melt as I raised my head to see his reaction.

'_But IS there a first for everything?'_

"I guess your right Percy," I said, referring to his previous statement. "So what did you do all day then?"

Percy raised his hand to his chin in mock thought. I giggled softly at his display of 'smartness'.

"Well you know, since you know everything…" he said with a small smile as he finished his pondering and started to roll his eyes at the mention of my superior intelligence.

"Come on Percy we both know I'm not THAT smart-" I said defiantly.

"He snorted in amusement. "Well name something you _don't_ know then Wisegirl," Percy said looking at me in a sheepish manner.

I didn't know plenty of the things but only one thing cam to mind.

'_I don't know if he-'_

But Percy, completely unaware of my currently important lack of knowledge, took my silence as something different. "See told you so Annabeth. You're so smart I wouldn't be surprised if you could read minds or something…." The dark haired boy said with a wide grin.

Now it was my turn to snort in amusement.

'_Yeah, I _wish_ I could read minds…well not minds more or less just one mind.'_

"But really what did you do all day?" I asked trying to press our conversation on from earlier.

"About the same as you," he said simply as he leaned back in his chair.

'_I highly doubt that.'_

…………….TIME SKIP……………

**"Come on Annabeth!" yelled a familiar voice.**

**"No, help me Annabeth!" cried out another voice, this one desperate.**

**I was running in a dark tunnel, one that changed every few feet.**

**I was in, the Labyrinth. Once again. **

**I ran as fast as I could on the uneven rock floor beneath my pounding feet. I was trying to make it to the small light ahead. A light that came from a small gap at the edge of a sturdy looking wooden door with rot iron handles. '**_**Behind the door has to be those people.' **_

**I ran faster now even more desperate to help those oh so familiar voices.**

**'**_**If only…'**_

**Suddenly the rock floor turned to sand and I fell slightly from the lack of support.**

_**'But I have to…'**_

**I**** trudged onward needing to reach the end of this tunnel.**

**Finally, I made it. **

**I tugged roughly on the iron handle. It seemed to be stuck. I pulled harder, using both of my arms in an attempt at leverage.**

**There was a slight click noise of the door being pulled loose from its jam. I fell to the, now hard, floor from the force of my pull.**

**I was drowned in light from behind the open door way. I shielded my eyes from the intensity of the present light. Thankfully it started to clear leaving in its place a room with ceiling tiles similar to those of a middle school class room.**

**On one end of the room stood a young man, ghostly pale with sandy hair that danced across his forehead but didn't quite interfere with his vision. He wore a baggy pair of cargo pants that tucked into a worn out pair of army boots and a white t-shirt that hugged his shoulders. In his arms he held a long sword, half celestial bronze the other…regular steal. The blade reflected its wielders eyes. Eyes of just a black nothingness, they were soulless eyes.**

**On the other end of the room, facing the first boy, stood a younger boy of around 15. He had a head of dark messy hair that rested a top his lightly tanned skin. This younger boy wore a simple pair of jeans and a pale blue t-shirt along with a ratty pair of sneakers. He held a slender sword in his hands; it was at the ready as if he was ready to attack at a moments notice. But unlike the first boy he didn't have coals for eyes, his were sea green. **

**As I stepped within the lights range the two boys turned. Although they did not break their tense stances their faces did seem to soften at the recognition of my arrival and in honest hope. **

_**'Who are these guys? Why do I feel like I know them?'**_

**The dark haired boy started to walk over to me, his left hand extended out as if to take mine. The boy never did make it to the door though because it was the paler one who spoke. We both looked over towards the older boy.  
**

**"Annabeth, come on. Kronos needs you. No **_**I**_** need you," echoed a hard voice.**

**At his words the dark haired boy tensed, then looked back at me pleadingly.**

**"Please Annabeth. I can't win this without you Wisegirl," he begged.**

**The older boy merely tilted his head back and let out a loud harsh laugh that seemed to shake the room. **

**"Now, now Annabeth, you don't want to defy me. Do you?" asked the soulless boy, all previous emotion erased from his stone cold face. **

**The younger boy stepped in front of me defensively just as it happened. Suddenly the figure of the pale boy completely changed. It became more feminine. It was now none other then Athena, my mother.**

**I was amazed at the sudden change. If it were possible the simple room seemed to become more tense then just seconds before hand. '**_**This isn't good…What could make a godly one have more hate then the previous boy here, the one with no soul at all?'**_

**"Daughter, you disgrace me?" she asked, her eyes fierce with anger.**

**"What? No, I could never-" I cried out as tears came to my grey eyes.**

**"Yet you associate with this-" she seemed lost for words, "spawn of my immortal enemy, Poseidon?!" She motioned to the person before me.**

**"He's ****not**** spawn, mother!" I argued.**

**My godly mother started to rub the bridge of her nose in annoyance to my difficulty.**

**"I thought I had made it clear to you, as I do with ALL my children, but now I see that…" her voice faded off as her grey eyes assessed the dark haired boy who still stood in my wake. She then returned her gaze to rest on me, her daughter. **

**But just as I was about to say something I was interrupted.**

**"Please Athena," the protective boy pleaded with the goddess, "do not punish your own daughter for something that I have done."**

**A thick silence passed within the small room. "Very well," declared Athena with a satisfied grin. "You shall be punished instead."**

**"No!" I yelled as a blinding blue light escaped from my mothers hand as she pointed towards the boy. I was pushed back with a force that sent me to the floor mere feet away. Then as I watched the scene before me everything seemed to click.**

**She was pointing to…Percy.**

**The light hit him square in the chest causing him to fly back into the wall 10 feet behind us. But just as he hit the wall he looked over at me sadly, sorry to have it end this way, and uttered only three words.**

**"Good bye Annabeth."**

**As he muttered those few words the light of the room entirely vanished and I was enclosed in darkness. All I could hear was the cold laugh of the heartless boy, nowhere to be found in the outlying shadows.**

**His last words echoed through my mind.**

"**Good bye Annabeth."**

Then the dream ended. There was a harsh knock from outside my cabins door.

"Annabeth get up!" bellowed an aggravated voice from beyond the door of the Athena cabin.

I groaned in drowsiness and slowly dragged myself to a sitting position atop my bed. I looked towards my digital clock. In glowing red letters it read "11:27 A.M."

'_Argh, not again! Why do I keep having that stupid dream?! I mean sure I don't have it every night but its too consistent…Hmm… it was different this time though. I don't remember it usually being _that_ long. What was different though?'_ I rubbed my temples trying to recollect my nights dream. _'I remember the begging perfectly but…Wait. My mother came, that's the same then- __Percy__ got hit…'_ My eyes widened.

"Come on Annabeth get your lazy butt out of bed all ready!"

I squinted in concentration, trying to block out the displeasure of my friend while trying to contemplate my nights dream.

"You're going to be late for lunch if you don't hurry up!" said the irked voice of Selina, as she continued to thump her manicured hand on my cabins wooden door.

"Yeah, yeah hold your horses," I replied groggily as I rested my feet on the faded floor and pulled the rest of myself out of my bed.

I made my way over to where I kept my small collection of clothes. (Really barely enough for a weekend out in the eyes of any child of Aphrodite.) I pulled out one of my many orange 'Camp Half-Blood' t-shirts and roughly tugged it on. I looked around trying to find some pants and quickly found a pair of jeans.

I hastily finished dressing to make it to my cabins bathroom. I looked at my reflection in the mirror as I brushed my teeth. I seemed the same as always almost entirely the same except for one thing. My eyes. They didn't seem to have their usual shine.

It was as if part of me wasn't there. It had been like this for over 3 months now. No one appeared to notice thought, it was just me… _'Why?'_

As soon as my teeth were brushed I made it back towards the door, making sure to grab my coat on the way.

"Sorry about that Selina," I apologized as I joined her outside. She wore a pink jacket and a matching pair of Uggs. Her makeup covered face, that was usually perfect, had been tarnished slightly from her chilled pink cheeks.

"Took you long enough, gosh it seems your waking up later then me and my siblings Annabeth! What up with you recently?" she asked a cloud of heat escaping her mouth.

I shrugged at her accusation and started to walk out into the white tundra of the camp trying to make it to the pavilion for lunch. I pulled my coat tighter around myself as I walked through the half foot of snow.

We walked to the pavilion in silence.

To be continued…

**SO WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK? PLEASE REVIEW TO LET ME KNOW!I'VE DECIDED THAT I'M GOING TO WRITE A SIDE CHAPTER ABOUT WHEN APHRODITE TOLF SELINA TO STAY AT CAMP (COURTESY OF 'sistergimm2'). ALSO AS ALWAYS GIVE ME SOME IDEAS FOR FUTURE CHAPTERS!!PLEASE!**


	4. Selina Helps Her Mom

**HEY THIS IS A SIDE PIECE THAT ONLY HAS TO DO WITH SELINA'S REASON FOR BEING AT CAMP SO IF YOU DON'T CARE THEN JUST WAIT UNTIL I FINISH WRITING A NEW CHAPTER, WHICH WILL HOPEFULLY BE THIS WEEKEND. SO ****REQUESTED BY 'SISTERGRIMM2' HERE IS THE STORY! i HOPE YOU ENJOY!**

**SELINA POV:  
**

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NOTE- THIS TAKES PLACE DURING THE LAST WEEK OF SUMMER

"Bye Selina," called one of my many siblings from our cabin door.

I looked up from my latest issue of 'GLAMOUR' to see who had called me. It was my older sister, Samantha. She stood in the cabins door way holding a large pink bag filled with most likely makeup. By her feet sat the rest of her of clothes and accessories, ready to be carried away to the camps van. She looked like a runway model._ 'Well of course ALL of my siblings do, including me.' _

She wore a simple 'Camp Half-Blood' t-shirt, as all campers are supposed to, and a dark pair of embroidered jeans. Her blonde hair hung loose by her shoulders. '_All in all my sister can pull off the casual look yet still look somehow breath taking. Even though she's different in the sense that she has a different style you can tell she is a daughter of Aphrodite…' _I thought thinking about the major difference between the two us.

"You're leaving today?" I asked tossing my magazine to the corner of the cabin as I scrambled off my bed where I had been reading.

"Of course I am sis. It is the last week of camp after all," she explained. I looked at her skeptically. She simply rolled her eyes, "You know sometimes you are such an airhead," she teased while poking me in the shoulder.

With that we exchanged a quick hug and I bid her fair well.

I turned back to my cabin. _'Whoa that's weird no ones here…I guess everyone is out side-'_ I thought as I walked over to my dresser deciding that I should be getting ready to leave.

'POOF'

I looked up from my packing. There stood a young and beautiful looking woman with an aura that seemed to radiate the feeling of love.

"Hey, mom!" I said with a smile as I walked over to her and gave her a hug. She patted my head lightly and looked down at me kindly.

"It seems like I haven't seen you in awhile, have I?" she asked with a small frown.

"That's okay mom. I know you're busy with your godly work," I answered with a grin.

"I know this may seem sudden but I want your help with something. Can you help me with one of my couples Selina?" she looked at me appraisingly as if she believed I could do anything.

"Sure mom, just name them,"

"Well you actually know them both very well…" she said cheerfully. "I need you to aid me by staying here at camp, however long you have to, and make sure Annabeth figures out her feelings,"

My face lit up. _'Was this it? Would I finally get to help my mother get the two people in the world that aggravated me the most, because they were so thick headed about their emotions, together?'_

"So, I'm like a new cupid?" I asked with a wide smile.

"Yes, you see dear I'm glad to say that young Percy has been…how should I put this?" she paused for a moment, "brought out of the dark. After their little venture to that volcano-"

I looked at her in question _'A volcano? When was that?'_

My mother then filled me in on what had happened in the labyrinth and what I was to convince Annabeth of. She then continued to tell me of her plan.

"Once Annabeth figures out how she feels all we need to do is get Percy here…but as for them getting together I have a brilliant plan," she said with a mischievous look.

"How are you going to do that mother? Haven't you noticed that both of them are nearly impossible, neither would say their feelings aloud like that," I stated, throwing my arms up in frustration.

"Yes dear but," she tapped the side of her nose lightly; "I have my ways. I always do." She smiled then vanished in a wisp of pink smoke that left a dim smell of roses.

* * *

**YES THAT WAS SHORT, SORRY. I HOPE THIS HELPS A LITTLE WITH THE PLOT AND ALL. TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK BY REVIEWING! GIVE ME SOME IDEAS FOR HOW I SHOULD CONTINUE OR LET ME KNOW IF YOU THINK YOU CAN ALREADY TELL WHAT MY CURRENT PLANS ARE. REMEMBER: REVIEW!**


	5. The Sand Dollar

**HEY! YEAH THIS CHAPTER IS KIND OF SORRY. FOR SOME EDITING/IDEA WORK I THANK MY FRIEND ATHENA.(**XxdestinedkunaixX**) ANYWAY HERES **

**THE STORY: **

**CHAPTER 4(?) "THE SAND DOLLAR" **

**oh and also this is PERCY POV.  
**

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I closed the door behind myself, happy to finally be home.

I heard the muffled sound of a chair scraping against a wooden floor coming from the kitchen. I roughly kicked my shoes off and dropped my heavy backpack on the floor beside them.

I walked down our tiny hall way, into my small kitchen. The walls were decorated with muted blue walls that caused everything to have a slight glow in the afternoon light. In the middle of the blue tinted room sat my mother, Sally Jackson.

She was going through a pile of papers that sat beside her in a jumbled mess that threatened to tumble over at any slight breeze. She was most likely doing more of her school work. To this day she still goes to night school, trying to improve her education so she could do something more fulfilling then being a candy girl.

As I stepped over the thresh hold my mother looked up from her work, brushing her aged brown hair gently behind her ear. Her look of concentration melted away, leaving in its place a large smile. "Oh Percy, honey, your home. How was your day at school?"

I merely shrugged as I pulled out the chair from across where my mother was sitting with her mountain of work. "You know, the usual".

She nodded in understanding. "Well at least your winter break is coming up soon…"

My mom was right. Shortly, within about 2 and a half weeks I would start break.

_'I'll be free. Free of homework, free to do, well pretty much anything I want.'_

My mother's fiancée to be, although he still hadn't popped the question, was coming over for Christmas dinner at our apartment. So although I would have to hang out with Blowfish that one day the rest of my weeks vacation was completely and utterly free from anything that would block it up.

I leaned my chair back and put my arms behind my head at the thought.

_'Man am I going to be bored though…Well as long as no monsters turn up, but I 'm never THAT lucky.'_

"Now Percy, you know I don't like you doing that with your chair," my mother said nagging me about this subject for the thousandth time. But she did have a point, how would the world react to the child of the big three dieing because he cracked his head open leaning back in his chair? Most likely VERY badly.

I hastily brought the front of my chair back down and muttered a quick, "Sorry".

A moment passed and my mother continued her reading. Bored, I got up from my chair and muttered about going to watch some cartoons before starting MY pile of homework.

INSERT STARS

_'This is pointless.'_

I pressed the "off" button on the controller and got up from where I had been watching, or at least trying to watch something on TV, and got my backpack from where I had abandoned it.

_'Argh. Might as well go start my homework…'_

I frowned at the notion of my intimidating work.

Now No kid really likes homework, as they shouldn't, but being a half blood makes things even harder if that's possible.

_'Yeah the combination of ADHD and Dyslexia doesn't really make someone eager to do any kind of work…'_

I walked down the hall and past two doors, the one that lead to my mothers room and the other to the apartments one bathroom, then I was to my room.

I strode in, brushing the door with my backpack because of its bulk. I walked over to my room's small desk and tossed my pack on my bed besides me. I roughly unzipped my bag trying to find my homework.

_'Hmm, gym clothes: no, old test: no, pads of paper: no, ah there my math binder!'_

I jerked it out, making the other things tumble out of my pack and onto my already messy floor. I hastily scooped up the disarray of papers and stuffed them back in my backpack.

I thumbed through my math book, which I had retrieved from the confines of my locker-of-a-backpack, trying to find the right page. Once I reached it, I opened my binder trying to find a clean page, one hopefully without doodles of various things ranging from riptide to things like minotaurs and pegasi.

I ran my finger down my book trying to find the right math work.

It read: 3x(4+6)y if x is 5 and y is 2

The numbers shifted on the page as my dyslexia kicked in. I tried to focus.

"That's not right," I grumbled angrily for the hundredth time as I erased my work once again.

_'I don't even see WHY I need to know this! I may not even live long enough for this to matter at all!' _I thought as I brushed the pile of eraser bits off my notebook.

_'No half blood could do this anyway, even if they did live to adulthood…Well except-'_

I picked my pencil back up.

_'Annabeth. She could do math problems like these in her sleep.'_

I looked back down at my math book, wondering how easy these were to anyone with half a brain.

_'Since I don't count of course. I'm a Seaweedbrain. No real brain power up here…'_

I absent mindedly reached my hand up to run my fingers through my shaggy black hair. My hand went back to rest on a patch of hair right above my temple.

'_…Hmm, my white bit of hair used to be there.'_

Two years ago I went on a quest to save…Annabeth. By the end of which I basically had to hold the world for her.

_'No, not her,' _I shook my head trying not to let the concept sink in to haunt me. _'I did it for the world, _right_?'_

_'At any rate my feat left me with this white patch…'_

But because of my hairs short length the white had grown out within the next month or two.

_'So I no longer look like someone out of a Frankenstein movie. Yet I no longer match Annabeth either…'_

I could feel my face heat up as I thought back on the night I had saved Annabeth.

_'Yet after saving the goddesses daughter, she STILL hates me, its like she thinks I'm some spawn!'_

I returned my attention back at my math homework, determined not to relive good memories gone bad because of a certain brainy deity.

Twelve math problems and an English paper later, I heaved a sigh of relief. I was done. As soon as I placed my pencil on my table I heard a voice from down the hall.

"Hey dear, do you want to help me with these Christmas decorations?" asked my mother.

"Sure Mom," I replied as I stacked up my finished work and leapt to my room's door.

In the living room sat my mother. A large card board box, with the words: CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS written in her elegant handwriting, sat in front of her.

I made my way over to her as she opened the top, revealing all its contents. Within was a jumbled mess of tinsel, ornaments, lights, and various other decorations. She dove her hand in trying to find an end of a cord to pull on in the hopes that it would break free of the chaos. I leaned over to help.

Once we accomplished unraveling it we walked over to where our pine tree stood. It was in the corner, neighboring our television and sliding glass door.

Eventually we finished hanging all our decorations on the tree. I walked over to the box, curious if we really had gotten EVERYTHING. We hadn't. On the very bottom rested two red things.

I get hold of them and brought it up to my face as I examined them. I turned the material over in my hands. These were my mother and my old stockings. We hadn't hung these up in what seemed like forever.

After retrieving two push pins, from my cluttered desk, I tacked the stockings up on the living room book case.

I felt something warm on my shoulder and I looked back. My mother stood beside me, he hand lying lightly on my shoulder.

"That's the spirit Percy," she said as she moved her hand over to ruffle my hair as I had done before. I grinned.

STAR THINGS

I picked the stack of finished homework of my desk and stuffed it all unmercifully into my pack. I looked up once I had managed to zip my overfed bag. It was shortly before seven.

Knowing dinner may still take awhile I staggered over to my bed, with nothing better to do then just stare at the blank ceiling.

I thought back on the past few months. Ever since school started every day seemed so long. My life at camp seemed just that, a different life. I closed my eyes, trying to experience again the bliss the end of summer had been.

_'Sure the Labyrinth had its down points, being freaking dangerous for one, but it was interesting. I got to hang with my friends, in danger but with them none the less. The rest of the summer did seem kind of dull in comparison though…'_

_'Too bad I haven't seen my friends in a while though… Last I heard from Grover, he was across the country somewhere trying to get some satyrs to listen to him about Pan and to help reshape nature. Thalia was still off on her never ending girls sleep over type thing with Artemis. Bet their picking on some poor bunny about now…'_

Then there's Annabeth…At the thought my heart rate quickened. My genius friend was, most likely, still at camp helping out Chiron with his with his injury.

_'When did I last talk to her anyway? My birthday?'_

I felt a sadness wash over me, I missed my friends. But more then that I missed Annabeth.

We had fought side by side so many times that I honestly trusted her with my life.

_'But do I trust her with my heart?'_

Over the course of my departure of Camp Half Blood and my return back to home I had discovered my feelings for my best friend. Therefore I had sent her an Iris message in hopes that I had enough courage to bring it up.

_'But I'm a coward so that didn't work.'_

I pulled my pillow out from under my head and buried my face into it.

_'How is it I can face a minotaur but I can't mention something to my best friend?'_

I had figured this all out more then 3 whole months ago. Now even though I didn't spend every day mopping around lovesick that didn't mean I was void of any emotion. My feelings still seemed to get stronger.

_'Why is this so confusing? She hinted that she didn't love Luke. Or did I just imagine that to make my self feel better? But at any rate does that mean that I have a chance, no matter how slim? But-'_

All my indecision brought my mind back to something the love goddess had told me during my quest to save Annabeth, Artemis, what ever.

_" Exquisitely painful, isn't it? Not being sure who you love and who loves you? Oh you kids! Its so cute I'm going to cry!"_

_"And don't worry," she said. "I'm not going to let this be easy and boring for you. No, I have some wonderful prizes in store. Anguish. Indecision. Oh you just wait."_

I sat up, trying to fully understand Aphrodite's little 'love-speech', as I placed my pillow back I knocked over something from my bedside table. I looked down at my feet trying to find what the source of the muffled crash had been. Lying on the carpet floor sat my birthday gift from my father. My sand dollar.

I heard a knock from my door. I grunted.

"Dinner is ready sweetie," said my mother as she opened my door and peered in.

STAR THINGS

I stabbed my piece of lamb with my fork. My half eaten dinner still sat before me. I used the chunk of meat to help build a mountain of my mashed potatoes **(like in that movie "close encounters of the third kind" lol) **I ate the lamb bit and placed my fork down, only to grab my spoon.

I sank it into a pile of peas, and then sprinkled them into the indent I had made in my potatoes. The peas filled the crater and stumbled over the side of the white mound.

Across from me I could sense my mother move slightly from her place at the table.

I looked up.

My mother was leaned over her, nearly empty, plate and was gazing down at what I had made.

"That's interesting Percy, it looks like a volcano," my mother said.

I looked down at my plate as my cheeks reddened.

"Oh, I guess…"I exhaled as I impaled the mound with my spoon and continued to eat.

A few moments of absolute silence passed as we both continued our dinner.

As I finished the last of my meal I softly placed my spoon down as I started to say, "Hey Mom do you know what-" I reached my hand toward my pocket and retrieved my gift from my dad, "this is for?" I held up my sand dollar up to her at eye level. "I got it from Dad last year as a birthday gift," I explained.

She held out her hand as to take it and I smoothly placed it in her open palm.

"This," she started, "is…wait your father didn't tell you yet, right?" she asked her eye brows arched in question.

I shook my head.

"Well," her face broke into a knowing smile, "it will be very important…" she handed me back the sand dollar.

"But why?" I asked. "And when?"

But my mother only picked up her and my empty plate and walked over to the sink, starting to clean off the plates. She acted like I hadn't said a word.

"Well can you answer this…" I turned to her.

She paused in front of the sink.

"Will it be a good thing?" I asked pleadingly, wanting to know at least something.

She fell silent, the dishes stopped their clattering sound.

"Yes."

* * *

**WEW CLIFFIE! TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK AS ALWAYS!**

**AND I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU, THE READER, HOW DO YOU THINK THE WORLD WOULD REACT TO PERCY DIEING BECAUSE HE CRACKED HIS SCULL ON THE GROUND?**

**

* * *

also if any of you guys have ANY ideas at ALL I would appreciate it, A LOT.  
**

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	6. Winter Break

**HEY! HERES CHAPTER 6!  
**

**CH.6-Winter Break**

**Its Percy POV:

* * *

**

I looked up towards the clock eagerly. "2:05" I still had five long minutes left of class. Of the day. Of school.

_'Well at least for over a week…'_

My hand absentmindedly drummed against the top of my desk. I looked back to the front of the room where my English teacher stood, still talking about who knows what…

_'Why is this taking so long today? Normally my English block only takes as painfully long as any other of my classes, but today its seems doubly agonizing.'_

"Psst. Percy, stop. You're going to wear out your desk if you keep that up," whispered a voice from beside me. I looked down where my fingers where thrumming against my desk at a quick pace, then over next to me to the person who had addressed me. It was Rachel Elizabeth Dare.

_'Of course it's her...'_

"Huh?" I asked irritated with my red headed friend.

"Your going to break your desk…or your hand," she pointed towards my fingers, "that would be a terrible way to start vacation…"

Bored, I looked back at the clock at the mention of our winter break. It was _so_ close… "2:07"

She poked me in the shoulder, trying to regain my straying attention.

"Eagar for break much?" she asked with a small grin. "What are you doing this weekend anyway?" her eye brows furrowed in wonder.

"Well err…" I scratched the back of my head, somehow making my messy black hair even messier.

_'What am I going to do, really?'_

"Oh I have a great idea for you to do this break!" she burst out in a whisper.

I looked at her in question.

_'What does she have planned _now_?'_

"Wait, are you going to see Annabeth at all this coming week?" she asked, rubbing the bottom of her chin.

"Why?..." I asked staring at the ceiling, wishing that class would end already.

In the corner of my eye I could tell thatshe wore the biggest grin her freckled face could manage as she said, "You could meet up with Annabeth and ask her out!"

I looked back down at her as I blinked a couple times stupidly before everything sunk in.

"WHAT!?" I practically screamed. My face turning beet red at her suggestion.

Kids in the rows in front of us started to turn their heads back, wanting to know what had interrupted their mutual feeling of boredom. Thankfully my, short of hearing, teacher hadn't heard anything. She still thought we were "listening"

_'Pff yeah right…'_

But all of my class mates were still looking at me, wondering all the same thing: "What is the weirdo Jackson kid doing NOW?".

Thankfully Rachel came to my rescue by thinking of a cover.

"Well yeah Percy, that's not actually food they serve in lunch," she said smoothly.

Kids turned back to the front of the room mumbling things like "Wow Percy took you awhile," and "Man your slow Jackson…" or merely just rolling their eyes.

I let out a sigh a handful of moments later, when all of my classmates continued to "pay attention" to the teacher, thankful that my spotlight of attention hadn't lasted a second longer.

I eyed the students ahead of me, making sure that there attention was indeed on the black board, before I turned back to my friend.

"Way to make me look like an idiot, Rachel!" I muttered as I glared at her.

"Don't worry Percy, It's not _that_ hard…" she replied with a half smile.

I folded my arms in displeasure. "Well as I was saying earlier," I exhaled, "WHAT!?" I repeated, making sure not to disturb the class again. "Why do you think that?!" I hissed irritably.

"Think what? That your stupid?" asked my red headed friend.

I shook my head. "That I should ask out-" the end of my sentence drifted off as I felt my face burn and I redirected my eyes down to the ground in embarrassment.

Rachel was silent. Or so I thought.

I looked up to see her fighting off a laugh as she started to say, "You mean Annabeth? Well that's an easy one. You obviously like her." She waggled her finger at me and smirked.

"Ugh, what? I do not like her!" I retorted defensively.

_'How did she know that?'_

She bore a victorious grin as she stretched in her chair and rubbed her eyes. "What ever you say Percy…"

"Have a good vacation class, and don't forget to study over break!" pronounced the haggard voice of my very old teacher, Mrs. Patterson.

STARS STARS STARS STARS STARS STARS STARS

"So Percy, if you can control water, can you control snow," Rachel asked as she kicked a bit of snow with her boot, "or maybe slush?"

The school day had ended and we were walking the 3 blocks down to my apartment, since Rachel didn't like to hang out at her own house. We had been discussing my powers, that had impressed my friend, and thankfully we weren't still on the subject of my love life.

I shrugged as I stared down at my snow covered boots wondering. "I guess it never really crossed my mind…"

"Oh," sighed Rachel's, her shoulders slouched in disappointment.

As I stared blankly I could feel myself loose my footing on the uneven side walk. I landed with a grunt of anger. From behind me I could hear Rachel let out a snort of amusement.

"Wow," she said as she tucked a lock of red hair back under her light blue cap, "you sure are clumsy, aren't you? So your the one whose supposed to save the world right? They didn't just tell the wrong person?"

"Shut it," I mumbled as I pushed myself off the ground and began to gather all the junk that had fallen out of my backpack upon impact with the side walk.

"Here," sighed Rachel kindly as she got down and helped me retrieve all my belongings.

Yeah my friend Rachel is weird like that. Not the fact that she can see killer monsters while regular humans don't see anything a miss or that she knows about the powerful gods that live atop the empire state building. No, she can some how be laughing at you one minute then boom shes helping you out. Shes odd like that...

_'I guess that's a good thing though.'_

We spent the next couple of minutes in silence, making sure we got everything, and that we somehow got it ALL back in my pack.

"Wait," I said as I went through my backpacks front pouch. "Where's my sand dollar?"

"Your what now?" inquired Rachel as she got up and dusted off the knees of her jeans.

"My sand dollar, I got it for my birthday from my dad!" I exclaimed, looking around in the slush that lined the walk way.

"What's so great about some old sand dollar?" she demanded from behind where I was frantically digging my gloves through the snow, trying helplessly to find my gift.

"It's important!"

"Yeah well I got that," she said annoyed, "but why?"

I stopped my frantic digging and turned to look at her.

"Well I don't actually know…"I said as I scratched my chin, leaving slush bits to drip down my neck.

Rachel hit her forehead with the palm of her mitten hand in frustration as I got up to check the side of the road in hopes of finding my lost item.

"I can't believe if it's so important why you haven't asked any one yet!" she cried out bothered.

"Well I have," I said as I walked down the side of the road, "I asked my mom the other week, but…she just told me it was important, nothing else."

"Well how come you haven't asked some one like….," she was silent for a second, "I don't know maybe Annabeth for starters!" she hollered as she waved her hands above her head in frustration.

_'Wait…'_

"I think I found it!" I said in barely a whisper as I stopped next to a puddle, the bottom of which sat my sand dollar. The puddle seemed the same as any other, but only to the mortal eye. I could see a very fine film of what was almost like green oil on the top, yet instead of it looking polluted it looked….

_'Pure?' _

And for what ever reason I didn't feel compelled to just reach in and grab my sand dollar, as any sane person would. I merely sat down roughly on the side walks ledge and stared down at the surface of the shallow water.

"Umm, Percy?" asked Rachel as she went over to where I had stopped my search for my _all important_ sand dollar, "you all right there?"

But I didn't answer, I had the weirdest feeling that what ever this thing was going to do I had to some how assist before it actually worked….

_'But how?...'_

"Wow, Annabeth was right. You ARE a Seaweedbrain..." muttered my flaming red headed friend as she continued to become even more annoyed by the second.

Suddenly everything clicked.

_'I know what I need to do!...I think...'_

I gazed down at the water fixedly and said only one word.

"Annabeth."

Abruptly the small puddles surface was disturbed by some hidden power unseen by the eye.

_'Was it my power? Or was it the influence of the sand dollar its self?'_

I heard a gasp from next to me as the water continued to swirl until floating in it was the image of a familiar cabin. One wall was devoted to bunks while the rest of the room's sole purpose seemed to be knowledge. In the center of this work shop, surrounded by book cases and architectural materials, sat a girl with curly blonde hair, a large book sat in her lap and she was apparently lost within its pages. It was my best friend. It was Annabeth.

She turned a page of the massive book and an odd strand of hair fell in front of her eyes, a white piece of hair. She whipped it away without a thought, tucking it neatly behind her ear.

"Is that-?" started Rachel softly.

"Annabeth," I said lightheartedly at the sight of my long awaited friend. My memory had seemed to have done her no justice. She was even more breath taking in this _reality_.

Moments passed as I tried to think of something to say, but out of everything that had passed my mind the last few months none seemed fit to accompany this moment of discovery.

I felt something roughly hit me in the side; Rachel had elbowed me.

"Well, are you going to say something, or are you going to just sit there gawking like an idiot?" she demanded in a heated whisper.

I shook my head like a dog trying to rid his ears of water as I stared blankly at her. Then I returned my gaze back down at the puddle, trying to figure out what to say.

"Uhh," I started dully.

Annabeth didn't look up from the page of her book, she simply itched the side of her nose and continued to read.

"Annabeth, can you hear me?" I asked slightly louder. My heart sank, if this was it then… well how is this supposed to help me?

But my thoughts were interrupted when I heard a deep snarl from down the road.

I turned my head sharply, aware that danger was indeed nearing.

At the corner of the deserted street was the hunched over form of my old buddy, the Minotaur. His human muscles rippled and in his right hand he held an enormous axe. He widened his stance, kicking up a cloud of dust, and snarled. His oversized bull horns waved in the air as he stretched back his neck and raised his weapon to the air in a battle cry. And as he lowered his head back down he looked at me, his glowing red eyes showing that he was ready for a fight, one that he was planning on winning.

I sprang up, remembering to grab my sand dollar from its puddle, and reached into my pocket looking for my magical weapon. I brandished Riptide, pulling the cap off in a swift motion and putting it before myself in a fighting stance.

The Minotaur let out another roar and started to run towards me, his massive hooves beating against the ground with an intimidating sound that would make any person with sense buy a ticket for the next boat to Antarctica.

As he got closer and closer I spread my stance, ready for impact, my hold on my sword tightening.

_'How did I get rid of him before?'_

I racked my mind trying to think of the answer before it was too late.

"Foolish half-blood! You will never live to see another one of your pitiful human days!" shouted the bull man as he got closer, his head bowed down in the hopes of skewering me.

_'If I don't move I'll become a meat-ka-bob, or in my case a Percy-ka-bob…'_ I thought with a gulp as I tightened my grip even more, leaving my knuckles white and my forehead wet as I started to sweat in concentration.

"You will fall at the hands of Kronos Lord of Time!" roared the monster as he continued his gallop towards me.

He was nearly on top of by the time I realized what to do. As he advanced the last couple of feet I let out my breath, that I had been holding, then waited for the last possible second. I quickly let out my own battle cry and side stepped him, grabbing one of his horns in the process. I pulled my self up securely on the back of his burly neck. I tried to steady my self as he rocked his head back and forth, like a fan of any heavy metal band. I somehow secured myself, as best as I could, and steadied my sword arm in preparation to my final blow.

I planted my sword quickly, before I could fall off, into his head. He let out a terrifying scream of pain and he collapsed onto the side walk, his hands trying uselessly to pull out the source of pain.

I hopped off the monster and pulled my sword out of his head and capped it.

His skin started to go clear so that you could see everything below him and as he finished disappearing he said something, "Mark my words son of the Sea God, you will pay for this! Kronos will make sure it will be in a most painful way! He will discover your true weakness, the one to control you by!" he said with a gasp.

He completely disappeared leaving nothing in his place that could even suggest him previously being there.

"Whoa," Rachel said in barely a whisper.

I shouldered my backpack and stuck my ball point pen back in my pocket, beside my sand dollar, as I started to walk back in the direction of my apartment. Rachel was rooted to her spot, most likely amazed by the time all that had taken to occur.

_'Yeah some way to start winter break…….'_

_

* * *

_**SO WHAT DID YOU THINK? I DECIDED TO ADD SOME ACTION THANKS TO A SUGGESTION BY 'BELLAORHARRY96'**

**SO DO YOU THINK THAT THE IMAGE IN THE PUDDLE WAS THE SAND DOLLAR OR PERCYS WATER POWERS?**

**WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT SLUSH?**

**HOW WILL PERCY PAY KRONOS?  
**

**LET ME KNOW BY, PLEASE, REVIEWING!**

**and please look at my percy jackson fanart- the links on my account page  
**


	7. The Truth, I Think

**Ch.7 (Percy POV)**

**The Truth, I Think…

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**

"Mom, you home? I brought Rachel over." I declared once my friend and I had walked over the thresh hold of my apartment.

There was no answer, just silence.

I turned to my class mate, "Go watch TV or something Rachel, I'm going to go look for my mom." I jerked my head towards the living room.

She nodded slowly, still kind of dazed from our attack, and then walked past me and towards where I had directed.

As she turned down the hall I let out a sigh.

_'And I had been doing so well on not getting attacked by monsters too… Stupid Minotaur had to go and mess up my record. Not only that but I could have hurt my only mortal friend… Well no matter it's over now.'_

I dropped my backpack down next to where Rachel had stashed hers and slowly started down the hall to look for my mother.

As I reached the door way of the kitchen my hand slid slowly towards my pocket. I grasped Riptide tightly as I looked into the kitchen for any sign of my missing mother.

_'Hope nothing bad happened to her…Really first the Minotaur, now this?'_

I glanced around the room, looking for a hint of anything a miss. There was nothing…except….

Sitting, isolated, on the counter was a white piece of folded note paper, with my name clearly printed across the top. I extended my arm over and warily unfolded it, uncertain about what it may or may not say.

_'Why am I so jittery? One monster attack and I'm suddenly cautious of every little thing? I mean really it's just a note. Just a note…'_

As I finished unfolding I spread it out on the counter and smoothed it until it laid flat. It read:

**Dear Percy,**

**Hope you had a good last day of school. Sorry I'm not home; my boss wants someone to take an extra shift this afternoon, since it's the holiday season. I was the only employee available and I could use the extra money, no matter how small. Every cent counts.**

**See you at about 5:00. I'll get us some Chinese food on the way home. I'll make sure to buy some extra in case you have a friend over.**

**Love,**

**Mom**

I folded the note back up and stuck it in my back pocket as I went to see how Rachel was doing.

She looked up as I neared the sofa, where she was comfortably sitting. I plopped down beside her a she looked back at the TV.

"Not going to be home 'till around five," I said as I looked over where her gaze was locked.

Stillness passed through the room, the only motion or sound coming from the TV as the characters blabbered and lights flashed.

"This is boring," she said after awhile. She snatched the remote from the coffee table and pressed the "off" button.

"So Percy," Rachel started to bring her knees up to her face so she could rest her head, "how did you do that thing with the puddle?"

"Huh, what?" I asked dumbly, returning my attention back to the room and away from my minds clouded state of 'blah'. "Oh, right the puddle. I actually don't quite know…All I remember was that it seemed to radiate this hidden power. As if it was possible for this tiny thing," I retrieved my sand dollar from my pocket, "was capable of so much….So much more then I ever gave it credit for." I reached over and placed it into my pocket next to Riptide. I slowly slouched back into the cushions of the sofa shutting my eyes in the process as I leaned my head back so that it rested on the rear of the couch.

"That's…odd." Rachel said uncertainly.

"Then," I started again, "then, I well- I didn't feel like just grabbing it and going on my way…" I said in a low voice that barely made it past the murmur of the street out side.

"Maybe its power was dragging you in…" she replied as she played with the cuff of her jeans.

"Yeah, I guess. It was like I needed to help it but its here to help me…like I couldn't be given some source of power, or knowledge of such without first aiding in my own way. I had the weirdest feeling that what ever it had to give was worth helping on my part, no matter the price…" I told Rachel as I tilted my head over to look at my friend.

"Well I have one question Percy," she was silent for a moment, "why did you say 'Annabeth'? How did you know to say her name?"

"Well um," I stuttered as my cheeks flushed and I rubbed the back of my neck. "Well you mentioned me being a _Seaweedbrain_ at the time and it reminded me of her so I just…." I shrugged.

_'I don't even __know__ what I did…'_

Silence once more covered the room, both of us deep in thought until…

"Wait!" Rachel burst out, "can I see your sand dollar?"

"Um, sure?" I said uncertainly as I handed it over to her. She grabbed my sand dollar quickly from my open hand and looked it over slowly.

"That's odd," she murmured.

I looked at her apprehensively.

_'What could be so weird about a sand dollar, well beside the fact that it is somehow magical… In any case what's so weird about what it looks like then?'_

"It's not wet, not at all." she exhaled as she continued to asses its surface.

She turned it over and ran her fingers lightly down the face until her hand stopped in the center.

"This is really peculiar," she said as she held it closer to her eyes. "There's something wrong with the surface…" she squinted at the rough top of the sand dollar, trying to figure out its imperfection. She gave its outside a small blow and bits of sand and dust flew off. But in their place lay, engraved, was some kind of marking, some sort of... message?

_'What the-?'_ I leaned over, trying to see past her hand. _'Why had I never seen that before?'_

"What's it say on there?" I asked from beside her.

"Umm, I think it says," she strained her eyes to see the fine lettering, "_**Of true intentions speak of thee, in danger be forewarning shall arrive**_"

"What the heck is that supposed to mean exactly?" I asked irritated.

"It means," her face broke into a grin, "well given the days past events…."

"Well, what then? Spit it out already!" I said anxiously.

"Well according to this shell," she held it up, "you _loooooovvveeeeee _Annabeth." She had a giant grin as she started to childishly snicker and poke me roughly in the shoulder.

"Stop talking," I said annoyed as I crossed my arms and glared across the room, my face scarlet.

_'Wish she would just get off my case already…'_

"What are you so uptight about Percy?" she inquired as the poking ceased.

I grumbled about her being _so _infuriating and how she never ceases to try and embarrass me.

"Hum, what's that? 'I'm annoying'?, you sure you don't mean something else?" she asked as she winked and made a small, fake, coughing noise followed by a murmured "Annabeth" that was followed by yet another false cough.

"Do you mean something by," I copied her fake cough, "that? What are you trying to suggest if anything at all?" I questioned as I squinted at her in suspicion.

"Nothing," she held her arms up in mock defeat, "nothing at all Romeo."

"Uh huh, sure…" I retorted sarcastically.

"Well I'm going to get a soda!" Rachel announced as she jumped up from her seat and strode over to the door way.

I grunted in response, still upset at my friend's persistence on a "certain topic".

I looked over at where Rachel had been sitting moments before, she had left my gift.

I reached over to look at the message again.

"_**Of true intentions speak of thee, in danger be forewarning shall arrive**_"

"Danger forewarned?" I murmured with a frown.

_'But how? What danger? Who? Why did dad give me this? Did he know some how what would, no what _is_ going to happen? Why did it go off in the puddle? All I know is that this could end badly….'_ All the questions I had come to without an answer reverberated within my mind, still though without a solution that was easily resolved.

"Hey, Percy, do you want a Sprite or water?" asked Rachel from the other room.

"Sprite," I called back as I continued to stare at the surface of the sand dollar.

She returned moments later, carrying a Sprite and a Fresca, looking like this was any old day, one that was devoted to just chillin', no monsters, and no magic, nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing at all that any kid in high school wouldn't have to deal with.

"Here," she said as she shoved the green can in my free hand.

"No Fresca for me?" I questioned jokingly as she sat down on the other side of the couch.

"This was the last one, too bad," she said as she stuck her tongue out at me and blew me a raspberry.

I popped open my Sprite and took a swig, happy for some junk food. Then I placed my soda down just as I heard a noise from the other room.

From the opening of the living room emerged the form of my mother. She looked tired, happy none the less though, after a long winter day of work. She was dressed in a brown coat that hung over her blue sweater and her light brown dress pants. In her hands she carried a large brown bag, our dinner.

"I got Chinese!" she said as she motioned towards the paper bag. She and Rachel exchanged simple hellos as we all headed towards the kitchen.

We quickly set the table and sat down, eager for some food.

_'Hungry….'_ I could have sworn my stomach growl from my place at the table.

Thus as I dug into my Chinese dish, though my mother and friend continued with small talk, apparently less interested in the food then I was.

"So Rachel," my mom said, holding her fork out over her steaming bowl of rice. "Percy hasn't gotten you in any mess yet with any…well monsters?"

Rachel slowly chewed her beef strip as she considered how to answer.

_'Please don't get me in trouble…'_

I peeked up from my plate to look at the two.

_'Come on…'_

We were both looking at Rachel once she started to speak. My mother worried about my friend; while I was, well worried about my self.

"Not in any trouble per say Ms. Jackson…."

_'Uh oh. What does she have plotted now?'_

"You see Ms. Jackson your son is quite good at the hero act, almost more impressive then some kid in a Hercules costume for Halloween…" she said with a grin as she stuck her tongue at me again and continued to consume her plate of beef and noodles.

I heaved a sigh of relief once my mother nodded and started to ask Rachel other things.

_'I'm off the hook. Wait…what? How is killing a Minotaur an act? I'm totally a hero!'_

The rest of the meal carried on, my company exchanging a laugh every once and awhile about one thing or another. I couldn't seem to pay attention; it was all so trivial to me. Even when I tried to concentrate I couldn't. The line from my father's gift seemed to come back every time I tried to think of anything at all.

_**"Of true intentions speak of thee, in danger be forewarning shall arrive"**_

_'Why is everything always some kind of mystery to me? It's like someone hates me… Some one more powerful… But that could be like half the gods! They all seem to have one thing or another against me! Why? It's not like it's my fault I the "chosen one"… Why can't everything just be easy? Like why didn't I just get like some hand book or list of instructions that would let me know when and how this stinkin' sand dollar works!'_

"So dear, were you on the quest with Annabeth and him when they had that little spat?" asked my mother, pushing her empty plate towards the center of the table, as she turned to my friend.

"You know, I do kind of remember that... I remember all that tension between those two on the whole trip."

My mother nodded in understanding. She glanced quickly at me to see if I had caught a word. But my face was planted on my plate and I was finishing my seconds. I had heard her, although I didn't want her to know. But my ears betrayed me as the tips turned red.

I polished off the top of my plate, catching the last of the sauce and rice in my spoon when I felt a disturbance in the small room. I looked up but no one else had felt a thing.

_'What is going on? ...'_

Then again it happened. A feeling of cooling came, but not like a breeze or a flake of snow. It was like this fresh feeling, yet it wasn't necessarily friendly.

_'But it's not evil...'_

The feeling gave way to something of warning and I saw a glimpse of Camp's borders flash across my mind for a second, but long enough for me to lose sight of my mother and Rachel. As the image receded I shook my head, disoriented from that moment. The image seemed so real, more so then even a memory. It was like I was there, like I was somehow connected.

I instinctively reached into my pocket to grab Riptide but my hand grabbed the sand dollar instead. The sand dollar was as cold as death in my hand, so different then earlier. I pulled it up for a second then I realized what was happening.

_'This is the warning… This is it.'_

"Camp!" I burst out, alarming everyone else at the table. "Camp!" I repeated, "I think something bad has happened to Camp Half-Blood!" I stuck my sand dollar away and started to get up towards the door.

But my mothers arm stopped me. "Percy, how do you know?" she asked calmly.

"I – I don't know but," I said frantically, "I have this feeling that something's going on and I need to be there to help anyway I can."

My mother nodded solemnly as her face seemed to turn to stone, no emotions showed through her mask of control.

_'I feel terrible about making her go through this again but I have to aid camp, what if something bad happens like…' _But I couldn't let myself think that.

I looked over at Rachel, about to ask her when she interjected her opinion.

"Well if your going I want to go top! Things are boring around here!" she looked over at my mother and said a small, "no offense Ms. J."

"But what about your parents Rachel? Its not like were just going down the street to get ice cream and back, this could be really dangerous!" I pointed out, holding her back as she tried to get past me to the door.

"Come on Percy, Haven't I told you this liker a thousand times? My parents won't notice." She tried to reassure me.

I looked back at my mother and she just motioned for me to leave and take Rachel. If it was so important then I would have to leave as soon as possible then I should do just that, leave as soon as possible.

"Fine," I muttered as I turned towards the door.

"All right! Goin' to fight some monsters!" shouted Rachel excitedly as she punched the air happily from behind me.

I ran past my backpack barely stopping to grab my coat, towards the apartment door and down the long hallway towards the stair well. I practically flew down the stairs in my haste to get to the main level, 4 floors down. But as I reached it I didn't slow down, I merely ran faster. As I arrived at the attendants counter he started to get up but I waved him to sit back down.

_'There is nothing he can do to help. Nothing anyone but me can most likely do, that's why I was forewarned of this.'_

I shoved through the doors, Rachel on my tail, and out to the dark nights streets.

"Percy, hold on!" yelled my friend from behind me. I skidded to a stop and turned back. Rachel was running full pelt towards where I stood on the sidewalk. Once she was standing beside me she looked at me excitedly.

"How are we going to get to camp? Something cool and magical? Or lame and mortal?" she asked with a small frown.

I looked around as I considered what she was asking.

_'Crud, I hadn't thought of that yet.'_

Then I saw a couple of yards away the opening to a dark alley.

"There," I pointed as I ran over to its mouth. I walked down, nearly past where the last bits of light could reach. As soon as Rachel had delved into the dark alleyway I opened up my mind.

_'Blackjack!' _ I mentally yelled.

I waited a moment for an answer.

_**'Yo, boss! What's up?'**_ replied the mind of my biggest fan, a black Pegasus by the name of Blackjack who believes that I was and is his savior.

_'Can you come? Quick?' _

_**'I can come quicker then you can even think what to do with the time you have to wait Boss!!!'**_ he replied.

_'Good, could you bring Guido to?'_

_**'Sure thing!' **_

I looked over at Rachel, who was staring at me oddly.

_'Right, she didn't just hear __any__ of that…'_

I let out a sigh, "They'll be here in a moment."

"Who?" she asked, "And how did you tell them? You haven't said a single word."

"A friend," I said simply as I leaned against the alley wall.

"How did you tell them where we are? How do they know to come?" she asked, completely confused.

"Well you know how I have sea powers and stuff?" she nodded, "well I can also talk to creatures that were made by my father Poseidon."

"So you sent a fish?" she asked surprised.

"Not quite," I said in a murmur as I heard a whoosh above. Both Rachel and I looked up as two giant, flying horses flew down and landed a few feet away.

_**'See told you boss, faster then you knew what to do with the time!'**_ gloated Blackjack from the front. _**'Hey Guido,'**_ he looked back towards the other Pegasus behind him, _**'no cyclops this time, you got lucky huh?'**_

_**'Good thing too, I don't know**_ _**how much my back can take of helping giant folk.'**_ He replied with a soft whiney.

"Wow, those are some weird fish your dad made Percy," Rachel said with a smirk.

"Yeah ha, ha, very funny," I said rolling my eyes. "Lets just go already."

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**PLEASE REVIEW. THX AHEAD OF TIME IF U DO.**


	8. Attack on HB Hill

**HEY SRY THIS TOOK LONGER THEN I EXPECTED, I WAS STARTING MY COMIC-CON COSTUME. THIS CHAPTER IS A BIT SHORTER THEN OTHERS. ANYWAY ENJOY!

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**

**Ch.8-Attack on Half-Blood Hill**

**Annabeth POV**

"I don't see why we have a stupid tree…" Josh called angrily from the bottom of the ladder.

I looked down, from where I was hanging tinsel on one of camps giant trees, at Josh. He had been complaining since Chiron Had told us to decorate the massive tree with the rest of our camp mates. But Josh, being a son of Ares, just saw this as a waste of a day he _could _be using to blow spit balls at kids.

"Well because," I sighed," most of our mortal parents originally celebrated Christmas _before_ they met our godly mothers or fathers. Basically we just follow tradition."

"Plus," said Selina from the ground where she was going through a box of decorations. "Christmas is _so_ romantic…" she exclaimed with a dreamy look.

"Yeah," agreed her sister from alongside her.

I rolled my eyes.

'_Of course, they only need __that__ as a reason…figures.'_

I turned back to the tree, to finish decorating the last of the tinsel.

"Hey Annabeth!" interrupted Selina from the base of the tree.

I grunted. _'Now what?'_

"I found some ornaments you haven't hung yet…" she said as she rummaged through the box. "This one in particular actually…" I looked down to see what she was blabbering on about.

"Oh I can get that," suggested Kyle as he smoothly strode over to Selina from where he had been making ice sculptures of the gods around the outskirts of the tree.

Kyle was one of Apollo's many children. He looked just like his dad too; blond hair that was always looking windblown and a smile that tore at all the female campers' heart strings. The only difference between the two of them was that he four years younger then his father. Like all his siblings were very talented in both archery and nearly any kind of art you could name, though he preferred to sketch or sculpt.

But as he tried to take the ornament from Selina, she pulled it away. "No," she said sharply, "I think Annabeth wants to put this up herself."

'_Okay then…'_

"I'll be right down I said as I descended down the steep ladder. My foot eventually touched the packed snow. I heaved a sigh and watched the steam from my breath float away in the early darkness around us. I looked up at the tree, curious of how it looked over all instead of at fifteen feet up. It stood like a giant, more then twenty feet tall with gently hanging tinsel that caught the light from the hanging orbs of Greek fire that rested in the limbs of the tree without setting it ablaze. Large ornaments hung from the branches each depicting a different god, though there were many ornaments for each god. Even Hades had a handful or ornaments each were deathly black with something similar to a flowing red ribbon inside, even if they _were_ secluded to the bare spots on the tree.

'_He's always left on the out side…'_

I shuffled over to Selina, careful not to slip on any ice. "So what have we forgotten?" I asked.

She held up an orb at eye level for everyone to see. It was around the size of a base ball, the same size as the rest of the ornaments but it had a glowing color to it, a grey blue that would remind you of a cloudy day at the shore. On its surface were intricate wave patterns to show a violent open ocean. But at one point the waves seemed to come up to a crest, leaving a dry open area. In that spot was a grey owl that nearly blended in with its off grey surroundings.

"So what do you think of this ornament?" she asked, trying to conceal a knowing smile.

I could feel my face turn a light pink. "Umm well…" I stuttered.

Kyle stepped over to look at it more clearly." You know," he started as he looked it over," I don't remember this one at all." He straightened up and looked at the two of us as he whipped his soft blond hair in thought. "That's odd too 'cause I help decorate nearly every year…"

"This was a special gift from my mother…" Selina told him as she motioned towards it with her empty hand.

"Why would your mom give camp some ornament?" asked on of the unclaimed Hermes campers, a 9 year old girl by the name of Erin. She was sitting in the snow next to a bowl of popcorn that she was using to make a string of popcorn for the base of the tree.

Kyle looked back at the ornament. "Why are there little waves and an owl? Does that mean−?" but Kyle stopped mid-sentence and stared across to me.

'_Crud.'_

"The only half-blood kid of Poseidon is Percy," he pointed to the delicately draw waved with a gloved finger, "so that's what the waves mean so then…That means the owl is for Athena making it mean…" he paused for a second. "You."

Now I could tell you that my face didn't turn a brighter red and that I played it cool and shrugged off his comment, but that would be lying.

"What?!" I asked, my palms started to sweat and I had a creeping feeling that I was cornered.

"Well since its obvious that the waves mean Percy then you know…" Kyle merely shrugged.

I looked around at my fellow campers. Selina and her siblings were huddled whispering, every once and awhile letting out a squeal of excitement or with "oh my gosh I know"'s. Josh was boredly standing by the ladder. But everyone else was staring at me with blank faces. I looked back at Kyle.

"Well you are his best friend…" he said.

"So is this like a…" stared Erin, "the ornaments a…" she started to tap her finger against her forehead wracking her mind for an answer. "A shipping right?"

Lyle looked at the young camper oddly.

"Well you know how there are shipping names for characters or something? I think sometimes they have symbols too." She said trying to recall a certain television series. "That makes this ornament your symbol then, for you and that Percy guy you like. So you guys would be…percabeth!"

"So what do you think Annabeth?" asked Selina, glancing down at the orb.

I grabbed the orb in defeat as I shuffled back to the ladder and up to the tree.

"Put it near the top!" called Selina.

'_Argh this is humiliating'_

I carefully placed the ornament out in the open, directly in the in the center of the magnificent tree. The sphere fit in nearly perfectly.

'_It is rather pretty…'_ I shook my head as I remembered just what it symbolized.

STAR THINGS

It was dinner when it happened.

"To the gods!" shouted Chiron as he stood on his recently heeled leg. He raised his goblet of grape soda and stamped his hoof. The pavilion roared back with shouts of agreement as we reseated our selves from our food offerings to the gods.

I grabbed a pork chop from my plate and looked around. The few campers seemed have regained some spirit, at least more then they had all year.

' _Tis' the season to be jolly…Tomorrow is Christmas after all…' _

Selina was talking animatedly to Kyle about plans for the tree, the Hermes campers were all huddled around a large map discussing strategy for a prank they would most likely play. The Aphrodite campers were talking about the latest fashions and Josh had his feet on the table and was picking at his teeth with a tooth pick.

Nothing could ruin this meal except…

From out near Thalia's tree we heard the noise. There was a loud flapping sound followed by a heavy thud. The room went silent and I could feel a chill pass the room.

'_What could..'_

Mere moments passed before the horn was blown by the patrolling satyr, the one who was now in harms way. We were in trouble.

"Quickly!" shout Chiron as he galloped over to our table. "Everyone, suit up!"

The happy go lucky atmosphere shattered. We had a fight on our hands now.

STAR THINGS

As we marched towards the border we saw a young satyr motion to the bottom of the hill with a freaked out expression. Our small group of fighters kept walking, the more experienced either in the front or flanking, to protect those who were younger.

We stopped at the top of the hill, beside Thalia's tree. I looked down at its base and discovered what had made the noise. Passing the base of the camp border was a massive lion with the head and wings of an eagle. The Griffin was not alone though. From behind it came more monsters until we were utterly out numbered. It was nearly two to one, most of the monsters being 8 feet tall or taller though.

From behind me I could hear one of the younger campers make a dry swallowing noise. They were scared, but so were the rest of us. Scared that we would lose, scared we may die.

Behind the Griffin were nearly a dozen Telekines, a hand full of Furies, a half dozen fire breathing horses with flaming red eyes and of course the bullies from Percy's old school, the Laestrygonians. Swarming about the beasts were stymphalian birds made of metal.

"This ought to be fun," Josh said with a smirk as he raised his axe and let out a battle cry worthy of his father. The rest of the camp followed his lead and ran from the protection of the border.

All the campers and the mass of monsters entangled together to become a confusing group of thrashing bodies, all ready to kill to the last breath if necessary.

I jammed my cap on and ran into the throng invisibly, careful to dodge the occasional spear or claw that would pass my head. On the outskirts of the fight stood the Griffin, at least half of our fighters standing at its feet, ready to take it down.

They would jump forward and try to attack but every time the beast would merely fly up, it was taunting them. From Thalia's tree came a whizzing arrow, pointed straight at its neck. But the monster had seen it coming and just moved over to the side.

'_Someone needs to distract it so Kyle can get and easy shot…'_ I looked around everyone but these few people were busy with the other monsters and those here didn't look like they could think up a plan fast enough. _'I guess that someone is me then…'_

I ran up just under its head and stabbed my dagger through one of its caves. The being looked around to see who had hit him. In his confusion Kyle shot another arrow, this time it hit the Griffin squarely in the neck.

As the monster started to collapse towards the ground I looked up.

'_Man I have to move….'_

I started to scurry out of the way when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I glanced up at the sky.

Something was flying towards us at a break neck speed.

'_Is that…?'_

As it got closer I could have sworn I saw Percy.

I stumbled on a large rock and something heavy crashed into my helmet, causing both that and my cap under it to fall off.

That's when everything went black. I didn't wake up for nearly a week.

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**CLIFFIE! TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK PLZ!**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ANYONE ELSE!**

**NOTE. THERE IS ONLY ANOTHER CHAPTER OR TWO LEFT AFTER THIS BEFORE I'M DONE.  
**


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